The Yankees may have caught a break ahead of their three-game home series against the Red Sox, which starts Tuesday in the Bronx.

Boston slugger Mookie Betts, who leads the American League in both average (.355) and home runs (13), left Sunday's 6-1 win over the Rangers after suffering a right shoulder contusion. Betts was on first in the top of the first inning when Andrew Benintendi rolled over a ground ball to the right side. Texas first baseman Ronald Guzman fielded the ball and attempted a throw to second, but he drilled Betts in the back.

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Betts stayed in the game but showed clear signs of discomfort after his at-bat in the top of the second. Red Sox manager Alex Cora then removed Betts from the game.

"He didn't feel great," Cora told reporters afterward. "So I just took him out. Just makes sense for us. A day and a half off. It should be something day-to-day. Hopefully ready for Tuesday."

Mookie Betts left Boston’s 6-1 win over the Rangers due to a right shoulder contusion. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

If Betts is unable to play Tuesday, that would obviously be a huge loss for the Red Sox, who have come back to Earth following one of the best starts in major-league history. They still lead the Yankees by one game in the A.L. East entering this week's pivotal series. After Sunday's walk-off win, the Bombers have won 15 of their past 16 games.

The Yankees and Red Sox are the two best teams in baseball. And considering the massive brawl that unfolded when the clubs faced off last month, there will be a buzz around this rivalry series unlike anything fans have seen for some time.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is aware of that fact.

"Red Sox-Yankees: always big. And obviously, they're a great team, so we understand there will be a lot of excitement around it," Boone said. "We understand all that goes with it from the outside, that there will be more eyes on this one. And that's what you love about being a part of this."

WHAT THE DELL?

Dellin Betances. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

After an uneven start to 2018, Dellin Betances seemed to right the ship in recent weeks. Before Sunday, the righthander hadn't surrendered a run in his previous four appearances.

But Betances took a major step backward Sunday, nearly costing the Yankees the game in the series finale against the Indians.

In his first major-league start, Domingo German didn't allow a hit in six innings but was pulled because of pitch count. Betances then entered and pitched a scoreless seventh, but he gave up three straight singles to start the eighth, bringing home the game's first run. Boone then yanked Betances for Jonathan Holder, and three more runs scored.

It was the first time Betances pitched more than one inning since March 31. And at this point, it's becoming increasingly clear that Betances is way more effective as a one-inning reliever. But Boone said both David Robertson and Chad Green were unavailable Sunday, thus forcing him to try to stretch Betances. That decision backfired.

"There's been a few times, because Dellin's thrown the ball so well, that we've been wanting to extend him past an inning, and this was the first time we did it. And we just felt like this was the situation," Boone said. "I'm actually good with the way Dellin threw the ball in the next inning. Pounded the strike zone, they got some hits against him. I don't think the running game sped up on him. I thought his poise, under control, everything, went well. Probably being his first time he went out for a second inning, I believe he might have tired a little bit. But we're going to use our guys, especially when we have a couple guys down in a particular day. We're going to give them multiple innings from time to time, and we felt like he was in a good place to do that for the first time today."